Syxuin
Syxuin is the most northwestern kingdom in Ingtandel and is home to the Selyxian people. Syxuin has six-hunred and fifty thousand inhabitants in five cities: Themis, Kalis, Tratia, Lygeis and Nereites. The kingdom is bordered by the Meridian Ocean to the east, Ciryatan to the north (and west), and the Ai'gyr to the west. Syxuin is known for its peaceful relations with the other kingdoms, and its exceptional diplomacy. Syxuin is a beautiful kingdom that is heavily wooded and contains very little open countryside. Most Selyxian live on the coasts, feeding off the ocean and building homes out of stone in the cliffsides and sheltered bays and gulfs. The Selyxian flag depicts a water dragon and two golden seashells, the insignia of the first reigning king, Endasir, with the backdrop of a pale blue cross, symbolizing the Selyxian value of companionship and family. The current king of Syxuin is Aedasir and his queen Illaea. History Syxuin was founded during the First Age, but the ancestors of the Selyxians were said to have existed far before the First Age. The Prophet Endasir] led a small population of people from the Unknown into Ingtandel in the name of the goddess Aa'yala, who had told him in a vision to leave their lands to "return home", indicating that their ancestors were from Ingtandel. The kingdoms of The Ai'gyr and Dyrnil were already established, and Ciryatan was just becoming a rising power The first Selyxians settled along the coasts of the northeast and established a kingdom thirty years after settlement. Endasir became the first king and named the country Syxuin, meaning "ocean village" in the first known dialect of Selyxian. The city of Lygeia was established first; it was not until Endasir's last few years as king that the royal palace was built on the island of Tratia, the second established city. The population of Syxuin exploded during Endasir's reign; bringing only fifty men, women and children with him during their emigration, Syxuin had over three hundred members at the king's death. Within the next five hundred years the Selyxian population began growing. At the end of the First Age the kingdom had fifty thousand people. The last king of the First Age, Landasir, began a conflict with the yet-established kingdom of Pylos over the Isle of Hart, where the Pylesians were using timber from the island as building material. Landasir claimed that their ancestors lived upon the island before being forced to immigrate far north, but an armed conflict ended in Selyxian defeat. After Pylos became a true kingdom in the Second Age, Selyxian king Gendasir attempted to negotiate with the Pylesian king Astos over rights to the island, but failed in doing so. Since then, no Selyxian king has tried to gain access to the island and its resources. During the Second Age Syxuin had nearly three-hundred thousand people and was considered one of the six kingdoms of Ingtandel. During the War of the Secong Age, when Ciryatan, Tlalis and Pylos were at war, Syxuin was the only kingdom to remain neutral and offer no military or arms in defense of any side. The kingdom's neutrality and relative peace have made it one of the most Appearance The Selyxian are known as the tallest peoples in Ingtandel, most, if not all, standing over six feet tall. They are well known for their white skin, white-gold hair, and bright blue eyes. Selyxians are long-limbed, lean-muscled, and slightly built; their bodies are considered graceful and beautiful, and even men are considered lovely in appearance and movement. Culture Most Selyxians live in houses of'' tanah illat'', a mixture of clay, water, and sand, which they paint bright, warm colors. Their clothing is also bright of color; reds, blues, and yellows are the most common, while greens, whites and blacks are the least common. Despite living in large houses with many people clustered on cliffsides and in bays and grottos, the Selyxian are a well-mannered, calm and quiet people who only become loud and raucous during celebrations, festivals, and family gatherings. The Selyxian are masters at pottery making, silk weaving and painting. Their artistic goods fetch pretty prices in Cirtinese and Ai’gyran marketplaces. Although they are also masters at cooking, their culinary skills mean little in the Ingtandel marketplace. Like most kingdoms in Ingtandel, there are also operations conducted in dark places, markets that deal with flesh and stolen goods. Prostitution is common in larger Selyxian cities, and many young Selyxian women are sold to powerful lords as hathrith, or concubines. The Selyxian king Landasir made prostitution a legal venture in the beginning of the Third Age but required that all prostitutes wear samites with a red band along the right arm as an indication of the woman's status. Landasir also made dealings in flesh illegal, but allowed families to present daughters that were deflowered before marriage to lords willing to take them as ''hathrith. '' Family Life Selyxians value familial life above all other callings. Most Selyxians live together in large groups consisting of grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins, children and grandchildren. Compounds—or large, branching houses—are a common sight in Selyxian citites and can house up to fifty people. The head of the family is usually an old patriarch who is the father or grandfather of the main family unit. Each person in the family has a hierarchical place that is strictly maintained; adults are always higher than teenagers and children. Siblings of the patriarch and his son or daughter have more privileges that cousins do. Each Selyxian plays a role in the maintenance of the home, and each Selyxian must hold a job to support the family. It is known as a great honor to serve the family and a great disgrace to fall short of your duties Food Because the Selyxian live along the coasts and upon small islands, their diet consists mostly of seafood. Lobster, crab and other crustaceans, along with nearly fifty different types of fish, are a common staple, as is seaweed, which is used in almost every Selyxian dish. Shellfish, clams, and oysters are often known as the food of the poor because they are abundant along the shores and in shallow waters, where no boats are needed. Eel is known as a delicacy, as is shark, swordfish, octopus, and squid. Because most of Syxuin is heavily wooded, very little livestock is raised. Sheep are a main staple for their wool, but only Augiran Selyxian eat lamb. Fruit trees and vineyards owned by powerful Selyxian lords and rich merchants grow peaches, grapes, and strawberries. Thousands of pounds of wheat are imported from Ciryatan to make bread, a favorite among the common folk. Religion The Selyxian follow the goddess Aa'yala and her six daughters, believing them to be the first true Selyxians who established the population on the Isle of Hart. Aa’yala was said to have created the oceans with her tears. Her children, known as Aspects of Aa’yala, were born from oysters' pearls. Many grottos hold small statues of the goddess surrounded by six pearls, signifying her six daughters. Festivals are held in her honor every full moon. The Selyxian believe that Aa'yala lives in a heavenly tower on the moon and makes it wax and wane each month, changing the tides and coaxing wildlife into Selyxian waters. Aa'yala is depicted as a tall, lithe, beautiful woman with long, pointed ears; she is often seen holding a harp in her left hand. Many people believe that the Selyxian are descendants of the Lost Elves of Hart, a fabled kingdom of elves that lived in Ingtandel but were nearly destroyed by an unseen enemy and forced to flee far north, beyond the kingdom of Tlalis and into the Unknown. The goddess's statues seem to suggest that Aa'yala was elven herself, and that the first people she created were elves as well. Unlike other kingdoms, the religion of the Selyxian is much less strict. All Selyxian believe in the goddess and honor her, but do no condemn those who believe in other deities or no diety at all. It is considered a disgrace for a Selyxian to lose faith in the Goddess, but it is not a crime in Syxuin. Military The Selyxian have a small military force of twelve thousand individuals who volunteer for service. The Selyxian military caters only to male citizens. The king of Syxuin is considered the leader of the military; Selyxian morals state that the leader of the kingdom must also lead his army. The Selyxian military livery is a turquoise uniform with yellow bands on each arm; ranks are indicated by tiny golden studs on the left shoulder in the shape of seashells. The lowest rank of soldier commands one shell; the highest below the king has six shells. The Selyxian military use longswords for their lightness and sleek shape. Units are deployed in groups of fifty individuals. Monarchy The Selyxian have an archaic monarchy in place. Selyxian kings and queens live on the island of Tratia and disseminate their laws and rulings through their reigning lords, who hold positions of great power in the four cities along the coast. These lords are often members of the king and queen’s Houses—brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles, and nephews and nieces. The Selyxian do not discriminate between male and female; both genders have equal claim to power, land, and money. The king is always betrothed to the youngest daughter of the Tratian ruling family of Eryth, who sacrificed their daughter to the first king, Endasir. Every king had the “dasir” ending to their birth name to indicate their royal blood; the current king is known as Aedasir of the Covenant, a title given to him for his exceptional diplomacy and the nearly five hundred treatises and agreements he signed and mediated for other kingdoms under his rule. Like many powerful lords, the king normally has many concubines, or ''hathrith. ''Only the king and his wife can produce heirs; the women in the king's harem that have sons or daughters give those children no rights to the throne. The first-born, true son of the king receives the royal name; Aedasir's first son is named Ingdasir, a name given in homage to the continent of Ingtandel. Language The Selyxian have one language, also known as Selyxian, which is spoken by all of Syxuin. Although many different dialects are known, they are so similar that they cannot be classified as separate tongues. Selyxian is known as a beautiful language that relies on long vowels and soft consonants that make the language seem almost to roll off the tongue. It is considered a romantic language (alongside Cirtinese and Ai'gyran).